Improvement in belt-tightenee



@nit-mme @anni @frn i THOMAS G. STANSBERRY, O F MEDORA, ILLINOIS. r Letters Patent No. 68,465, dated September 3, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT -IN BELT-TIGHTBNER.

'IOA ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. STANSBERRY, of Medora, in the county of Macoupin, and State of Illinois, i have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tightening Elevator-Belts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisA specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereonz like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it. My invention consistsiof a new and improved belt-tightener, by which elevator or other belts may be conveniently shortened and held in position while being laced or fastened. In the drawingsi Figure l is a top plan view. Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line x x of iigrl; and Figure 3 is a detached sectional view on line :e m of fig. 1, after theshaft has made half a turn. I construct .my belt-tightener ofan iron shaft, B, of any convenient lengt-h and size, having a slot, a, in its ce ltre, and provided with a crank, C, and ratchet-wheel, b. Through the slot a, I pass a leather strap A, and to each end of this strap attach a three-timed iron hook, These hooks I construct with an opening, e, in *H their heads, as shown in fig.l. The shaft B, I mount upon'a frame, E, and provide it with bearings at cZand e.

To this frame I attach a pawl, which plays into the ratchet-wheel In operating or using I'ny belt-tightenel, I adjust the hooks D into the upper and lower ends of the elevator. or other belt sought to be tightened, as shown in fig. 2, then turn the crank C, which causes the strap A to wind up on the shaft B, as shown in gs. 2 and 3, and the hooks D`to approach each other and draw the ends or portions of the belt to which they are attached together. When thus drawn up, the ratchet and pawl keep the shaft in whatever position it is placed. The elevator or other belt which is being tightened can then be laced or fastened through the openings c, if necessary. i It will readily be seen that the ratchet-wheel and pawl may be made so that, by holding up the pawl, the i crank may be turned vin either direction, and when it is desired to hold the shaft in any desired position, the pawl can be dropped into" the ratchet-wheel, or when using my belt-tightener to, tighten elevator belts, a pawl can be fastened on to the side of the elevator frame, to be used in connection with the ratchet-wheel. Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

The slotted shaft B, provided with a crank and ratchet-wheel, in combination with the strap A, having tined hooks at its ends, arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

T. G. STANSBERRY.

Witnesses:

JOHN HUDSON, JOSEPH HUNTER. 

